Retail
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Walmart targets zero emissions by 2040, won't rely on offsetting
US retail giant Walmart has committed to becoming a zero emissions business by 2040 by pledging to become carbon neutral across its global operations without relying on carbon offsets.
Carbon capture and EVs: Amazon unveils first beneficiaries of $2bn climate fund
Amazon has announced the first beneficiaries of its $2bn Climate Pledge Fund, with organisations developing carbon removal technologies, nature-based carbon markets and electric vehicle (EV) innovations set to benefit.
Flurry of corporate plastic announcements hints at a new normal for the circular economy
In what has been a bumper week for news stories on single-use plastics, edie explores how corporates are forging ahead with new collection and take-back schemes for recyclable packaging that had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Retailers sign up to co-locate on UK's first electric forecourt
A host of retailers including WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Booths and Gourmade have enrolled into a new partnership with the UK's first electric forecourt, which is due to open near Braintree, Essex, this November.
HolyGrail 2.0: Major brands sign up to explore digital watermarks to improve packaging recycling
More than 80 major European brands, including P&G, PepsiCo and Mondi will collaborate to explore the feasibility of using "digital watermarks" to improve the sorting of recyclable packaging across the European Union (EU), as part of the HolyGrail 2.0 project spearheaded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Tommy Hilfiger vows to become 'fully circular' by 2030
PVH-Corp-owned Tommy Hilfiger has launched a new environmental and social sustainability strategy, headlined by ambitions to make products "fully circular" and to operate "with sensitivity to planetary boundaries".
In charts: How the UK's green recovery is taking shape
EXCLUSIVE: An edie survey of more than 240 sustainability, energy and CSR professionals across the UK has revealed exactly what they make of the global reen recovery movement, and provided an update on how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted day-to-day work in this sector. Here are the results...
John Lewis kick-starts furniture leasing trials as Ganni unveils rental-only collection
Department store John Lewis has launched a new furniture rental service, in the same week that luxury fashion brand Ganni debuted a new denim collection that is available to rent but not to purchase.
Retail giants prepare to launch TerraCycle's 'zero-waste' refill service in stores
Following successful online launches, retailers including Tesco in the UK and Carrefour in France are planning to bring TerraCycle's refillable model, backed by businesses like Danone and Unilever, to stores.
Morrisons planning to ditch plastic 'bags for life'
After removing 5p single-use carrier bags and trialling paper options, Morrisons is hoping to remove plastic 'bags for life' from all of its checkouts, should trials of alternatives prove successful.
Resale, repair and environmental labelling: Selfridges accelerates efforts to sustainably 'reinvent retail'
Selfridges has outlined a string of new commitments and pilot projects around sustainable materials sourcing, environmental communications and resource-efficient business models like repair, resale and rental.
Primark launches UK-wide fashion recycling scheme
Primark has installed take-back boxes for clothing, textiles, footwear and bags in all 190 of its UK stores, in a bid to reduce the amount of these items sent to landfill.
Iceland on track to become a net-zero business by 2042
Iceland Foods has revealed that it has reduced its operational emissions footprint by 74% since 2011, despite growing the business, putting it on track to reach net-zero by 2042.
Sainsbury's granted water self-supply licence
Sainsbury's has been awarded a self-supply licence for water and sewerage by regulator Ofwat, as it works to become 'water-neutral' by 2040.
Aldi to halve plastic packaging use in the UK by 2025
Aldi UK and Ireland has pledged to halve the volume of plastic packaging it uses annually by 2025.
Three-quarters of UK businesses 'reconsidering their environmental credentials due to Covid-19'
In a survey of 500 UK-based business decision-makers, almost three-quarters (72%) said that the pandemic has made them reconsider the environmental credentials of their organisation.
20 UK retailers to jointly plot course to net-zero ahead of national deadline
Boots, Next and Marks & Spencer (M&S) are among the 20 major retailers who have this week pledged to jointly develop a net-zero roadmap for the retail sector, with a target more ambitious than the national 2050 requirement.
O2 to install PPE recycling boxes in stores
Telecoms giant O2 will begin collecting used personal protective equipment (PPE) at UK stores this month, as part of a new partnership with Terracycle.
Rapid EV charging points to be installed at 10 major UK shopping hubs
Retail estate developer Brookhouse Group has opened rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points at seven of its busiest retail parks and unveiled plans to install chargepoints at three more locations by the end of 2020.
Fashion footprint: Farfetch's new tool to highlight the environmental impact of clothing
Luxury fashion platform Farfetch has launched a new tool helping online customers to choose products with lower environmental impacts, including secondhand goods and those made using innovative renewable materials.
The Body Shop owner unveils 2030 net-zero commitment
Health and beauty giant Natura & Co - the parent firm of brands including The Body Shop and Avon - has unveiled a new package of sustainability commitments, headlined by a pledge to reach net-zero emissions within a decade.
Circularity in a post-pandemic world: An opportunity worth seizing
As part of the edie Explains: The circular economy guide for 2020, supporting partner Reconomy's business and industry divisional director Harvey Laud discusses the role of closed-loop ambitions in helping to deliver a green recovery.
Zalando unveils science-based targets, commits suppliers to set carbon goals
Online fashion retail platform Zalando has built on its commitment to carbon neutrality across its own operations by having targets to reduce operational carbon emissions by 80% and emissions from the production of private label products by 40% approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Zalando and Sustainable Apparel Coalition issue sustainable metrics for brands and retailers
German online fashion retailer Zalando has confirmed it will be the first retailer signed up to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) to use a new module that will make sustainability assessments mandatory for its private labels and partner brands sold on its platform.
Iceland cuts food waste by 23%, aims for 50% reduction by 2030
Retailer Iceland has revealed it has reduced food waste by almost a quarter in the past two years, having reduced wastage by around 2,500 tonnes through redistribution schemes as the company targets a 50% reduction by 2030.
Vattenfall agrees to 8MW district heating scheme in Barnet
Vattenfall Heat UK will deliver an 8MW districting heating system to heat homes, schools and businesses in Barnet, with a view to removing all carbon-emitting sources from the system.
Mission Possible: The 2020 report
This exclusive edie report explores how a green recovery from Covid-19 can be achieved across six of the UK's biggest industries: Utilities, Manufacturing, Construction, Retail, Hospitality & Leisure, and the Public Sector.
Superdrug ditches plastic from own-brand tampons
Superdrug has announced that it has removed plastics from its own-brand tampons and launched a new range of menstrual products made from organic and sustainably certified materials.
Mission Possible: edie launches new sustainable business report for the retail sector
edie has published a new Mission Possible report today (12 May) outlining the key drives, challenges and opportunities facing sustainable businesses in the UK retail sector.
Mission Possible: Achieving a sustainable future for RETAIL
edie’s insight report series provides an in-depth exploration of the steps that sustainability and energy professionals within Britain's retail industry can take to achieve a sustainable future, today.
Engagement, Net-Zero & Mission Possible: edie gears up for bumper month of online content and events
With the UK lockdown continuing into May, edie is keeping up the positive sustainability and climate action with a host of exclusive interviews and reports, two themed weeks of free online events, and the launch of the flagship Mission Possible 2020 report.
Building sustainable, climate-resilient supply chains for your business
This one-hour webinar will explore how businesses are moving from ‘risk’ to ‘resilience’ with their supply chains by championing sustainability, increasing transparency, and engaging suppliers with climate action.
Patagonia and Surfdome trial removal of plastic polybags for clothes
Online sports retailer Surfdome has partnered with outdoor clothing firm Patagonia to trial the removal of plastic polybags from clothes orders in a way that doesn't impact product quality or generate an increase in lifecycle carbon emissions.
Meat sector 'facing ruin' as climate change set to cripple earnings
The increased impacts of climate change coupled with rapid growth of alternative proteins will put "billions of dollars at risk" in the meat sector, as a new study warns that companies are failing to disclose climate-related data or examine how they would perform based on numerous climate pathways.
Aldi boss: We'll delist brands that don't act on plastics packaging
Aldi UK's chief executive Giles Hurley has written to suppliers of third-party brands, warning that they will be delisted unless they align with the supermarket's 2025 plastics packaging commitments.
Iceland slashes plastics packaging by almost one-third in two years
Iceland has posted an update to its commitment to remove all plastics from own-label product packaging by 2023, revealing that it now uses 29% less plastics in these applications than it did in 2018.
'A climate first': Ikea slashes global emissions as business growth continues
Ikea has recorded a year-on-year decrease in its total carbon footprint, despite expanding its operations, for the first time in its history.
How online retailing is allowing fast fashion to thrive
In the first of a two-part feature, edie's senior reporter Sarah George explores how booming profits for online retailers are driving a fast fashion mindset in the UK that could undermine efforts to champion sustainability in the fashion sector, unless business and consumers find their voice.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos unveils $10bn climate fund
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, widely regarded as the richest man in modern history, has pledged to funnel $10bn (£7.7bn) of his personal fortune into a new fund aimed at tackling climate challenges.
Journey to the top: Are today's sustainability professionals tomorrow's chief executives?
H&M's appointment of Helena Helmersson as chief executive marks the first time a global corporation has appointed a former sustainability manager to lead the company. Could this be a sign that sustainability is becoming so integral to business that today's CSR professionals are tomorrow's corporate leaders?
Partnerships: Re-dressing the sustainability power balance
Moving to environmental sustainability depends on innovation and concerted action through partnerships. And that always means listening to people - in the supply chain, with charities and NGOs - with very different outlooks, objectives and sense of purpose.
Sustainable Business Leadership Survey 2020 - The results...
This second annual survey reveals what "business leadership" looks like for sustainability, CSR and energy professionals across the UK, following our inaugural report in 2019.
Asda pledges to halve emissions by 2025
Asda has committed to halving its Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (power-related) emissions by 2025, under new targets which it claims are aligned with a 1.5C trajectory.
H&M appoints former sustainability manager as chief executive
Fashion giant H&M has named Helena Helmersson, who spent five years as sustainability manager, as its first female chief executive.
Iceland trials swathes of plastic-free packaging for fruit and veg
Iceland is set to trial plastic-free and low-plastic packaging across 38 of its fruit and vegetable lines, in a step towards its ambition for all own-brand lines to be free from single-use plastics by 2023.
edie's guides to net-zero carbon continues with the public sector
The fifth report in the series of edie guides on net-zero carbon has launched with a focus on the public sector.
Meet edie's 30 Under 30 Class of 2019: Tom Byrne, Asos
This series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Next up: Tom Byrne, senior sustainability manager at Asos.
Debenhams sets sweeping new fashion sustainability targets
Department store retailer Debenhams has set a string of new green targets for its fashion and homeware departments, in a bid to set new sustainability benchmarks for the sub-sector following a difficult financial year.
Servitisation and social media storytelling: How retailers are approaching sustainability in 2020
January is now probably just as synonymous with retail discounts as it is with New Year's resolutions. But following a year of unprecedented climate activism, how are retailers planning to increase sustainability action and embed a 'purpose-beyond-profits' approach in 2020?
Homebase pledges zero-waste-to-landfill by 2021
Home improvement retailer Homebase has pledged to achieve zero-waste-to-landfill status by 2021, after partnering with recycling and waste management firm Reconomy.
Co-op targets 100% recyclable packaging by summer 2020
The Co-op has moved the deadline for ensuring that 100% of the packaging on its own-brand lines is easy-to-recycle forward from 2023 to summer 2020.
Kroger revamps action plan to eliminate food waste by 2025
US retail giant Kroger has unveiled new steps to eliminate food waste across its company by 2025 by prioritising food donations and technological innovations to drive action through a Zero Hunger, Zero Waste initiative.
Patagonia's Black Friday campaign raises $20m for environmental causes
Outdoor clothing company Patagonia's Black Friday fundraiser for environmental organisations has hit its $10m (£7.6m) target in just 17 days - meaning the firm will now donate $10m of its own to these causes.
Asda switches to plastic-free steak trays
Asda is removing hard-to-recycle black plastic trays from some of its best-selling meat lines, replacing them with recyclable cardboard alternatives.
ASOS to trial reusable packaging in drive to cut plastics waste
Online fashion retailer ASOS is set to trial reusable packaging in early 2020, after months of work to develop an alternative to single-use plastic mailing bags.
Meet edie's 30 Under 30 Class of 2019: Benedict Orchard, Superdry
This series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Next up: Benedict Orchard, energy and environment manager at Superdry.
edie's guides to net-zero carbon continues with construction sector
The fourth report in the series of edie guides on net-zero carbon has launched with a focus on the construction sector.
Multinationals get behind SDG food drive in UK
Fresh plans to drive forward progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UK through a food programme have been supported by Nestle, Nando's, BaxterStorey, and other organisations.
The sustainability of Peak: Top tips for reducing your emissions this Christmas
It comes as no surprise that the Peak season is an all-consuming time of year for businesses - and I don't just mean Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The "peak" shopping period, which runs from October to January every year, is one of the busiest times of year for retailers and logistics providers alike.
M&S launches digital viscose map to boost fashion supply chain transparency
Retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) has launched a digital map highlighting all textile suppliers through which it sources man-man cellulosic fibres (MMCF) including viscose.
Black Friday isn’t dead (yet) – but it is evolving rapidly
As climate change and resource efficiency climb the public agenda, declarations that Black Friday is "dead" are abound. But with shoppers saying they want to spend more than last year and circular business models emerging at a pace, it's probably time for a rebrand rather than a post-mortem, edie's senior reporter Sarah George argues.
edie's General Election 2019 green policy manifesto matrix
edie has launched a policy manifesto matrix, outlining all the key commitments – and some notable omissions – that the Conservatives, Labour, Green Party and Liberal Democrats have issued.
Ikea to invest £171m in nature and clean power under 'climate positive' pledge
Ikea has today (27 November) unveiled a new €200m (£171m) investment package aimed at helping the retailer deliver on its commitment to become 'climate-positive' by 2030.
Selfridges bans single-use wet wipes over plastics concerns
Selfridges has removed all single-use beauty wipes from its in-store Beauty Halls and its online offering, in a bid to reduce the plastic footprint of its customers' bathroom routines.
Tesla's 'Cybertruck' and Timberland's London eco-store: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Boots introduces compostable pharmacy bags after plastics backlash
Boots is switching its plastic pharmacy bags to compostable alternatives made using potato starch, after customers began returning plastic bags and voicing their anger on social media this summer.
Target meets 2020 goal to install 500 rooftop solar arrays ahead of schedule
US-based retail giant Target has met its 2020 goal of installing rooftop solar at 500 locations ahead of schedule, as it strives to source 100% renewable electricity across its global operations by 2030.
Boots removes 149 tonnes of plastics from Christmas gift range
Boots will use 149 tonnes less plastic packaging to house its range of Christmas gifts this year than it did in 2018.
John Lewis & Partners: Net-zero a commercial opportunity for business
EXCLUSIVE: John Lewis & Partners' decision to set a net-zero target before the UK Government enshrined its 2050 target into law evidences the fact that sustainability and profitability now go hand-in-hand, the retailer's director of corporate responsibility has claimed.
'Pre-cycling': Closed-loop scheme for surplus fashion stock grows
The number of high-street fashion giants to have entered an agreement to sell their end-of-line surplus stock through a third party at a discount, in order to benefit charity, has reportedly grown this year.
John Lewis trials swathe of new recycling and reuse offerings
John Lewis & Partners has launched a string of seven new initiatives aimed at helping customers to reuse packaging and recycle items which are not currently collected by most domestic kerbside services.
Supermarket sweep: Tesco inks onsite solar deal as Lidl eyes rapid EV charging points
On the same day that Lidl has pledged to install rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers at all new stores, Tesco has unveiled plans for a UK-wide renewable energy programme.
Asda brings recycled plastic target forward five years
Asda has brought the deadline for its target of ensuring that 30% of plastics used in packaging comes from recycled feedstocks, originally set for 2025, forward to 2020.
Morrisons launches first round of rapid EV chargers
Morrisons has installed 50 rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers across its supermarket customer car parks this week.
Huggies to eliminate plastics from baby wipes and packaging
Kimberly-Clark-owned brand Huggies has pledged to eliminate plastics from its baby wipe range in the UK over the next five years and launch a portfolio next year that will allow consumers to return packaging to supermarkets to be recycled.
John Lewis ditches plastic Christmas cracker toys
John Lewis & Partners has pledged not to sell Christmas crackers with plastic toys inside after the 2019 festive season.
Selfridges switches from plastics to compostable for Christmas food packaging
Selfridges is removing plastic packaging across its own brand range of Christmas food, switching to home compostable alternatives for 90,000 mince pies and 3,000 Christmas cakes.
UK retailers to generate 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste from Halloween costumes
Halloween costumes sold by UK retailers are set to generate more than 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste, equivalent by weight to 83 million bottles, according to new research from environmental charity Hubbub.
Shell commits £10m to offset emissions from customer fuel purchases in UK
Shell will spend £10m over the next year to offset the emissions from customers' fuel purchases at more than 1,000 service stations in the UK, following a successful trial in the Netherlands.
edie's guides to net-zero carbon continues with manufacturing sector
The second report in the series of edie guides on net-zero carbon has launched with a focus on the manufacturing sector.
Meet edie's 30 Under 30 class of 2019: Ankita Patel, Harrods
This new series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Next up: Ankita Patel, corporate responsibility manager at Harrods.
Google, Ikea, make major new renewable energy investments
Ingka Group - the largest retailer within Ikea's franchise system - has confirmed that it is on track to exceed its renewable energy targets after a string of recent investments, in the same week that Google has made its biggest renewable energy purchase to date.
Amazon commits to net-zero by 2040 following staff protests
E-commerce giant Amazon has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040, after its staff lobbied for the firm to take more bold action on climate change.
The Body Shop: Demands for plastic-free shopping have 'come full circle since the 1990s'
EXCLUSIVE: The Body Shop's decision to begin offering plastic-free refills at its refurbished Bond Street store was largely driven by changing demands from its shoppers and staff, the brand's managing director has told edie.
Sustainable Supply Chains: 5 key areas for sustainability professionals
This new report, sponsored by alternative pallet company PALLITE, offers sustainability professionals insight into the key areas of sustainable supply chain management.
Why fashion needs to slow down to avoid ‘shutdown’
As Extinction Rebellion (XR) protestors call for events like London Fashion Week (LFW) to be shut down, fashion brands remain worryingly silent about slowing product turnover before resource scarcity leaves them with no alternative, edie's reporter Sarah George argues.
New initiative to help business minimise climate impacts of cooling
The Climate Group has launched a new initiative aimed at helping businesses to improve the energy efficiency of their cooling processes and to decarbonise their cooling systems.
Second-hand September: Selfridges hosts clothing resale pop-up
Luxury department store Selfridges is showcasing second-hand clothing at its flagship store as part of a collaboration with resale platform Depop.
Sainsbury's to launch refillable lines in bid to halve plastics packaging
Sainsbury's has confirmed that it will launch refillable versions of products such as milk and fizzy drinks in the coming years, as it strives to halve the amount of plastics it uses for packaging by 2025.
John Lewis applies for water self-supply licence in first for UK retail
John Lewis & Partners has become the first UK retailer to apply for a water self-supply licence, in a bid to reduce water use and deliver savings.
Primark to enrol 160,000 farmers under its sustainable cotton initiative
Retailer Primark has expanded its Sustainable Cotton Programme into China, assisting with overall plans to train more than 160,000 independent cotton farmers in sustainable farming methods across key sourcing countries by 2022.
Aldi to replace plastic sleeves on tinned tuna multipacks
Aldi has announced it will remove all plastic packaging on its multipacks of tinned tuna, which could save more than 11 tonnes of plastic annually if rolled out nationwide.
Amazon under fire for new packaging that cannot be recycled
Amazon has been criticised by environmental groups and customers after introducing a range of plastic packaging that cannot be recycled in the UK.
Sainsbury's removes plastic applicators from tampons
Sainsbury's has removed single-use plastic applicators from all of its own-brand tampon lines, as it strives to cut its packaging use and remove non-recyclable plastics from shelves.
Ikea to begin removing plastic disposables from restaurants globally
Ikea has unveiled a new range of plastic-free disposable food service products, which will enable it to begin removing single-use-plastics from its food outlets from September.
Itsu and Cook join water bottle refill scheme
Sushi chain Itsu and gourmet food retailer Cook have become the latest firms to join City to Sea's Refill campaign, aimed at reducing the public's reliance on single-use plastic water bottles.
M&S launches bra recycling campaign
Recycling of lingerie is now being encouraged by Marks and Spencer (M&S) under its new "love your boobs" campaign.
Lidl rolls out reusable produce bags to cut plastics
Lidl has begun selling reusable bags for consumers to put their loose fruit and vegetables in, in what the firm claims is a first for a UK supermarket.
Tesco begins plastic glitter phase-out
Tesco has confirmed that it will remove plastic glitter from its Christmas trees, plants and flowers before the 2019 festive season begins.
Four years on: How have supermarkets responded to the 5p plastic bag charge?
The UK Government published its annual figures on single-use plastic bag sales last week, revealing that distribution by large retailers has fallen 90% since the 5p charge was introduced. But exactly what role have supermarkets played in that transition?
